Contact:
Mara Powell
502-895-8167 *122
mpowell@kyyouth.org

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates

Kids win when their best interests are prioritized—and our leaders in Frankfort have exemplified just that with their overwhelming and bipartisan support of House Bill 527, championed by Representative Steve Riley. We applaud the Kentucky Senate for unanimously supporting HB 527 and Senator Dan Seum for his leadership on this issue, which promotes the educational stability of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

When a child is removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, they face a number of transitions, including a new home and a new caregiver. Knowing for some kids that school is the most stable part of their life, HB 527 prioritizes that stability. When appropriate, allowing kids to stay in their current school will minimize the loss of important learning time, and even more important, encourage consistency in relationships built at the school when so many other facets of life are changing. When a child must move schools because of the abuse or neglect they’ve experienced, we need to make the transition to a new school as smooth as possible with swift enrollment and transfer of records.

We applaud Representative Riley and Senator Seum for their work to improve educational stability, and we thank the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for prioritizing what’s best for children who’ve experienced abuse or neglect.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.